Sensory States

Express sensation and perception

Static vs. Dynamic Sensory Verbs

STATIC VERB — EXPERIENCE SOMETHING

A static verb indicates a state of "sensation" or "perception" (hear, see, sound, taste, feel) indicating how we passively experience the world around us. A static verb usually takes the nonprogressive verb form.

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

COMPLEMENT

NP

VERB — STATIC

ADJ / NOUN

He

feels

sad.

I

hear

your voice.

Mario

sees

the picture.

Your cello

sounds

good.

This food

tastes

spicy.

He

feels

is feeling

sick.

The dog

smells

bad. (stinks)

DYNAMIC VERB — DO SOMETHING

A dynamic verb expresses an activity, an action that we do or perform. It can take a progressive verb form. Note that the meaning of the dynamic verb may differ from the static verb.

¹am feeling — It is becoming more common to hear speakers use the progressive form to emphasize time – adapting to something new usage — "How are you feeling about living away from
home?""Is he feeling comfortable with the situation?"

Feel

Experience a Sensation vs. Taking Action

Feel — static vs. dynamic meanings

FEEL— STATIC

Feel has a number of meanings. The static uses are other ways of saying be. (I am hungry. I am strong. My hands are rough.) If you can substitute the word be, then it is a static use. These "linking verbs" are typically followed by adjectives.

She felt hurt by his indifference.
He felt insulted when his father called him "boy".

PHASAL VERBS / EXPRESSIONS

I feel for you. (sympathize)
We didn't feel up to going to a movie. (be in the mood)
Please, feel free to use my phone. (you may)

FEEL— DYNAMIC

The dynamic uses of feel range from touching (physical activity) to expressing emotion (mental activity). You can use adverbs with dynamic verbs and you can change the transitive verbs to passive voice. (This is not possible with static verbs.)

BE AWARE PHYSICALLY OR EMOTIONALLY

We felt the earthquake around 2:00 a.m.
He feels his daughter's warmth.
She felt her mother's loss. (death)

HAVE AN OPINION / BELIEVE

I feel strongly about this issue. (not usually progressive, takes an adverb, does not take passive voice) Merriam-Webster. "feel" 4.b – believe, think

TOUCH

She felt his forehead to see if he had a fever .
The doctor didn't feel any broken bones. (find)

SEARCH WITH THE FINGERS

She felt around her bag to find her keys.
She felt her way down the hall to the bathroom.

PHASAL VERBS / EXPRESSIONS

We wanted to feel them out before we proposed a deal. (learn their point of view)

Taste

Sensation vs. Investigating Flavor

Taste — experience vs. test something for flavor

The static use of taste expresses how we experience the flavor of something. It mostly occurs in the nonprogressive, but may occur in the progressive to emphasize the experience — at the moment.

TASTE + ADJ/ NOUN

How does the plum taste? It tastessour.

This soup tastes like/of garlic.

The food tastes too spicy.

RESTAURANT SPEECH (informal usage)

How does your food taste? (passive sensing)

~ How is your food tasting? (Is the food sensing?)

*This food is tasting too spicy. informal / incorrect

TASTE — DYNAMIC

The dynamic use of taste expresses the activity of investigating the flavor of something. The progressive form expresses the activity of tasting something with the tongue. Adverbs and passive voice can be used.

PERCEIVE / DETECT

I can tastemint in this cookie.

Do you taste a little cinnamon?

No, but I can almost taste some vanilla.

SAMPLE / TAKE A BITE

— Don't eat my pizza.

— I'm not. I'm just tasting it.

* not used / ~ questionably used (often asked by staff (waiters) in restaurants)

Traditional and Linguistic Description

(Advanced)

Error and Solution

TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION – STATIVE VERBS

Traditionally, these verbs are called "sensory states", or" stative verbs" or "linking verbs", and they are followed by a noun, an adjective (predicate adjective) or a prepositional phrase. (Azar 441) (Merriam-Webster 437)